Munich - The Bundesliga plate wrapped up in record time and domestic milestones smashed by the dozen: you might well be wondering how incoming FC Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola can possibly top the Bavarians' treble-winning exploits of 2012/13.
Home return
Bayern picked up 44 points from the 51 on offer at the Allianz Arena over the course of the 2012/13 campaign (14 wins, two draws and one defeat), but that was still five short of the 49-point tally Bayern's class of 1972/73 share with FC Schalke 04 (1971/72) and VfL Wolfsburg (2008/09). To top that, the record champions will need to win all 17 of their home assignments next season. In his four years at FC Barcelona, a flawless first half of the season evaded Pep Guardiola, whose best run came back in 2009/10 (15 wins and four draws).
Home advantage
Bayern posted some impressive numbers in front of their own fans last term, among them 56 goals scored and just 11 conceded. In 1971/72, though,
Gerd Müller and Co. stuck away 69 at home, while Werder Bremen let in only five on Weser soil 19 years later in 1992/93. Barcelona hit the net a whopping 73 times during 2011/12, albeit in 19 outings, but not once during Guardiola's four-year tenure did they concede fewer than ten league goals in a single season.
Away joy
Bayern's 42 goals scored on the road still weren't enough to top Bremen's 43-goal count of 2006/07. Barcelona struck 49 times away from Camp Nou in 2010/2011, again in 19 league outings.
On the road
Jupp Heynckes' men found the net at least once in their last 19 away games; Hamburger SV enjoyed an even longer run of 27 between August 1981 and February 1983. Barcelona came close to matching the Red Shorts' run when, between April 2010 and November 2011, Guardiola's tiki-taka troops strung together a 26-game scoring streak on the road, before losing 1-0 at FC Getafe.
Winning streak
From Matchday 18 through to Matchday 31, Bayern won 14 games on the bounce: only one victory shy of their own Bundesliga best mark of 15, achieved over two seasons in 2005. Going one better, though, are Guardiola's 2010/11 alumni, who set a Liga record of 16 wins on the trot.
Unbeaten run
Guardiola will inherit a Bayern side unbeaten in 25 Bundesliga outings and hot on the heels of record holders Hamburger SV (36 games, January 1982-83). The Catalan tactician certainly has form on that front, having seen his Barcelona side go 31 La Liga outings without defeat in 2010/11 alone (matchdays 3-33). As far as single-season records go, Borussia Dortmund's 28-match stretch (2011/12) remains a Bundesliga high.
Shutouts
Despite conceding a new Bundesliga low of just 18 goals and recording 21 clean sheets during the 2012/13 campaign, Bayern still couldn't quite match VfB Stuttgart's run of nine consecutive shutouts (2003). Barcelona racked up seven successive clean sheets in Guardiola's first season in charge while, in 2009/10, Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes trumped Bayern legend Oliver Kahn's record (19 in 2001/02), surrendering just 20 goals in 38 league outings.
Hinrunde
Winter champions in record time, but bronze medallists when it comes to their overall performance during the first half of the season (13 wins, three draws and one defeat). In 2005/06, Bayern notched 14 wins in the run up to the winter break - a number later matched by Dortmund in 2010/11. Guardiola will join the club prepared to hit said record out of the ballpark having guided Barcelona to 17 wins, one draw and one defeat during the first half of the 2009/10 La Liga campaign.